Ella Enchanted

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Modern Fantasy (Chapter Book)

When she was born, Eleanor "Ella" of Frell was given the gift of obedience by a fairy named Lucinda. This meant that she would always have to obey any order given to her, no matter how big or small. Ella grows up hating Lucinda for giving her this "gift," trying her hardest to break the spell by doing everything she can to not follow orders. When Ella is fifteen her mother dies, leaving her devastated. At her funeral she meets the Prince of Kyrria, Prince Charmont, and they become fast friends. Ella's father grows tired of her disobediance and decides to send her off to boarding school with Hattie and Olive, two girls she hates. Hattie learns Ella's secret and starts to use it against her, and when it becomes too much for Ella to bear she runs away from boarding school. On her journey she runs into elves, ogres, Prince Char, the wedding of a giant, and Lucinda! She eventually makes it back home and begins to write letters to Prince Char, who is on a year-long trip to the neighboring country. Hattie and Olga become Ella's stepsisters, and their mother treats Ella horribly. She falls in love with the prince, but refuses to marry him when he asks her because she is under the spell. When Prince Char tells her to marry him and she refuses, Ella breaks the spell and she and Char live happily ever after.

I would use this book to teach students how to compare and contrast books. Ella Enchanted is based off of the fairy tale 'Cinderella,' and there are definite differences and similarities. It would be a great starting point for comparing and contrasting because the story of Cinderella is a very familiar one with children. It would also be a great book to use when starting predicting because students would have an idea of what would come next and might be able to get a better grasp on the concept.